You Think You're Dad
by AnonymousUserIsAnonymous
Summary: Set before Lucy's first visit to Narnia, but after they arrive at the Professor's house. When Edmund steals from Lucy, it falls to a reluctant Peter to step up and show him the error of his ways. Contains spanking of a child by an older sibling. A repost from the co-author's account .
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: It's not mine, if it was, they'd have been a lot nicer to each other and nowhere near as many books would've sold because it would be full of fluffy mush. **

** A/N: This is a story written maybe…two years ago? Maybe three. It was co-written between myself (A) and my friend (T) and until today was posted on T's account. Since it doesn't fit with the rest of her stories, and since I wrote a good portion of it myself, we decided to take it down and repost on this account. So if this looks familiar that's why – I haven't stolen it from her. There's probably a lot of OOC (is it possible to ****_not _****be in this genre of fic?) but we were young(ish) and foolish when we wrote it.**

** As stated in the summary, there is spanking of a child by a child in this fic, and if you don't like that then don't read it. If you read it anyway, then feel free to comment even if it is criticism but be aware that flamers will be laughed at.**

** We are ****_not_**** promoting abuse or even corporal punishment, it's fiction and sometimes people write fictions where characters do or say things that the author does not necessarily agree with themselves. **

** There are loads of CP fics about Harry Potter etc but at the time we wrote this, there were only maybe two about TCON. I found this a little odd since in the era Lewis was writing it would have been perfectly normal and not condemned or frowned upon. So…you know, here you go.**

** Anyway, please let me know what you thought – either myself or my co-author (or both) will try to reply promptly. - A.**

* * *

"Well?"

Edmund shifted in his seat, his eyes downcast and nibbling nervously on his thumbnail.

"Edmund!" He winced at the tone in his sister's voice but did not answer. There was an awkward silence as each sibling waited each other out, it was Peter who broke the silence.

"EDMUND! Answer me!"

"You haven't asked me anything." The younger boy replied sullenly, still not meeting their eyes. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his brother's fist clench tightly; he was fairly certain Susan wouldn't let Peter hit him but given his recent behaviour (which had been, he had to admit particularly beastly), he wasn't too sure. He decided to err on the side of caution, just in case.

"It was just a joke." He sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time. Both Susan and Peter let out sounds of derision so he pressed on. "It was!"

"A joke!? Edmund, you made her _cry_! Do you really think that's funny?" Peter's face was so near his, Edmund could feel his explosive breaths on his face. He opened his mouth to answer but - "Oh, don't answer that! I don't think I want to know." Peter threw himself away from the chair with a disgusted look. Susan touched his shoulder and whispered something in his ear; Peter nodded and moved away to the window.

Edmund was forcibly reminded of the relay races at school, Peter had obviously run out of energy so now it was Susan's turn to shout. It hardly seemed fair to him.

"Edmund." Susan's voice was calmer but held its own steely note in it. "Mum made Lucy that bear. You _knew _that, what on earth made you steal it from her?"

"I didn't steal it!" Edmund protested indignantly.

"You entered our room. And you took it. Without permission to do either! And then, you lied about it!" She took a deep, calming breath. "Never mind the lying Edmund, taking something that isn't yours without permission is stealing! Isn't it?!"

Edmund shrugged defeatedly.

"Isn't it, Edmund?" Peter growled from his window seat.

"YES!" At the murderous look on Peter's face, Edmund regretted his snarled answer. He sighed heavily. "Yes, Su. It's stealing."

"Good. So...what did you do, Edmund?" Susan's face was set but her eyes seemed so like their mother's and so full of disappointment that Edmund couldn't bear looking at her.

He nodded.

"Ed." Susan warned.

"I stole it." He mumbled, picking at a loose thread on his shorts.

"Yes. You did." Peter's voice now sounded full of disappointment too but there was still a hard edge of anger to it.

There was another silence as Peter glared daggers at his brother and Susan sighed repeatedly. Edmund sat and chewed his nails quietly.

"Edmund, don't chew your nails!" He glanced up at his sister's sharp voice and slowly lowered his hand to his lap. They returned to the deafening silence.

The silence was broken suddenly by the Professor's housekeeper Mrs MacCready bursting through the heavy wooden door with a teary eyed Lucy in tow.

"Where did you put it, you nasty little boy? Hm? Taking your little sister's bear, good grief! What sort of an upbringing allows a boy to do that?! I shall write to your mother and ask her to have you all back! I've told the Professor, and there will be a letter in the next post!" She stormed round the boy's bedroom, lifting pillows and opening drawers angrily, shooting thunderous looks at Edmund.

"It's not in here." Edmund admitted quietly.

The woman pulled up short. "I beg your pardon?"

"It's...It's not in here." He repeated nervously. "I took it from Lucy's room and...and I hid it in a cupboard somewhere but then I went to get it again and...and I couldn't find my way back to the cupboard! This house is so big, and I...I got lost."

At the door, Lucy burst into tears again. "We're never going to find hiiim!" She howled loudly.

Edmund shifted uncomfortably as Peter's face if possible got even angrier. Susan flew across the room to Lucy and hugged her.

"Of course we'll find him Lu! We'll have to look! It'll be like a game of hide and seek! It'll be fun!" Lucy sniffled and blinked hopefully at her sister.

"Will we all look? All of us? Like search parties? Even Edmund?" She shot a pout at her brother.

"Of course we will, dear. Now, you and your sister run along downstairs to the kitchen, I've put a treat out for you." The girls' faces lit up and Lucy even stopped crying.

"What is it? Oh, please! Do tell us what it is?" Lucy begged.

"I've been baking biscuits for the church sale, and I saved one for each of you." The children could almost have believed she was smiling. Just a little. "Run along now. You too dear." She added to Peter who was still sat by the window. She turned to Edmund who looked up hopefully, large brown eyes that were the picture of innocence and childish greed. "Oh no you don't!" She scowled. "Little boys who steal from their sisters do _not _get biscuits!"

There was a faint clang from the front door of the manor, Mrs MacCready looked towards the window where the rain was beginning to patter softly against the window pane. Turning back to Edmund, she stated harshly: "I'll deal with you later." And she hurried out of the room slamming the door (contrary to her own rules) and went to get the door.

* * *

"Don't worry, Lu. There's only so many places Edmund could have hidden him."

Lucy nibbled dejectedly on the biscuit in her small hands. Susan and Peter exchanged looks.

"We'll find it, Lucy. I promise." Peter said soothingly.

"Albert is not an 'it'! Albert's a 'he'!" She cried indignantly.

"Sorry. We'll find _him_." Peter amended quickly. Lucy still looked faintly annoyed but she returned to crunching her biscuit quietly.

Susan gazed out of the kitchen window. Through the steamed up glass, she could see the rain pouring down outside and thought the Professor's visitor lucky that he arrived when he did, before the downpour. She thought vaguely of Edmund upstairs, banished as he had been, sitting alone in his room. She truly believed he hadn't meant to lose Lucy's bear, and that he had only meant to scare her – though that was bad enough. She knew what their mum and dad would have done if it had happened at their home in Finchley and she wondered what 'The MacCready' had planned. Although she knew he deserved punishment, she also secretly hoped that his only punishment would be being confined to his room without dinner. For Edmund, that would be torture in itself once the scents started drifting up through the house. Her younger brother seemed to be permanently hungry these days!

Peter too, was thinking about their brother. Angry as he was, he couldn't help feeling a little pity for him. Edmund's one true pleasure was food and to know he was missing out on freshly made biscuits must have made him feel terrible. He also couldn't help thinking about their father, and what he would have done in this situation. Peter knew that he wasn't their father, he was as conscious as his siblings of their father's absence but he felt that in this situation, perhaps he should 'step up' as it were. Although Mrs MacCready had not told them what she had planned for their brother, he suspected it would be of a corporal kind and while he was not adverse to it, he felt it would be better coming from Edmund's own family. And, mature as she was, Susan did not have either the resolve or the residual anger needed to discipline their brother in such a way. He on the other hand...he was startled out of his musings by a squeak of surprise as Lucy spilt a glass of milk over the table and they all rushed to clean it up.

* * *

Edmund sat leaning against the head board of his bed, dressed in his pyjamas having long since resigned himself to not having dinner that night. He looked up, anxiously chewing his nails as the door creaked open and Peter couldn't help but notice the wary look in his brother's eyes as he saw him. He took a deep breath as he turned and closed the door very deliberately behind him. Edmund gulped slightly, seeing the way his older brother's jaw and shoulders were set.

"Peter, I -" He began.

"I don't want to hear it, Edmund." Peter murmured, still not looking round.

He took another deep breath and steeled himself. Could he really do this? He had no doubt that any kind of corporal response would be better coming from their family than the Professor or his housekeeper but why did it have to be him?! Susan had been just as hesitant, she too agreed that, had they been at home, their mother would be having a very serious 'talk' with their brother but was not so certain that it would be taken well coming from Peter. And as for Mrs MacCready herself, she had been reluctant, anxious as she was that Edmund be properly punished for his misbehaviour and (though she did not show it) anxious too about the effect it would have on the children's relationships, not to mention how they would view her if she seemed to let the behaviour go! However, in the end, it was agreed that, if the Professor was agreeable and if Peter was willing, Peter would deal with his brother and if he did change his mind, only then would Mrs MacCready step in. But how to proceed?

As it happened, Edmund prompted him into action fairly swiftly.

"Did...did you find it yet?" This was said meekly through a curtain of dark fringe. Peter felt his resolve wavering slightly. But when he answered, it was with as much authority and confidence as he could muster.

"No. We haven't. And Albert is a 'him' not an 'it', Edmund."

Edmund bit his lip then, feigning nonchalance declared "Oh well. She really is getting too old for a teddy bear. It's a little pathetic really, don't you think? Honestly, Peter, she should be thanking me."

"Pardon?" Peter's voice was cold, disbelieving. Edmund seemed to notice, his voice faltering and trailing off.

"Well, I just meant that...you know, she's too...too old for a teddy. Don't...don't you agree? I mean she...she's almost eight." He finished very quietly.

"No." Edmund looked at him, puzzlement on his face. "No, I do not agree." Peter continued, sitting down on the edge of his bed. "She's only seven. When you were seven, you had one and so did Susan and I. Anyway, what does it matter what _you_ think?"

Edmund fidgeted, uncomfortable at the note of disgust in his brother's voice. "I'm just saying...she should be grateful." He muttered sulkily.

When there came no response, Edmund glanced up at Peter. He was glaring angrily at him, he seemed to snap out of it as their eyes met.

He sat up straight, very suddenly. "Come here." He commanded shortly.

"What?"

"Come. Here." Peter repeated slowly, dangerously.

Edmund swallowed and tilted his head to one side. "Why?" He asked cautiously.

"Edmund!" Edmund jumped to his feet and began very slowly towards his brother.

Peter grabbed him about the waist as soon as he came within arms reach, flipping him quickly over his lap with astounding ease given his inexperience and holding him with one hand. Edmund froze.

"Peter?" His voice sounded pathetic and childish even to his own ears. "What are you doing?"

"You know what I'm doing, Edmund." Peter sounded calm, confident, his voice showing nothing of his inner panic. He had thought the hardest part would be getting his brother over his lap but now, faced with the reality of what was happening, he felt panicked and completely too young for this. He had seen Edmund spanked of course, most often when he was also about to be punished but to actually be the one doing it seemed a terrifying thought. But there was no going back, Edmund by now knew what he had planned and if he stopped now, things would only get worse. At least this way, Edmund might stop behaving so terribly - they might even all be able to have fun together in this huge old house and its huge garden.

He could feel Edmund's heart racing against his thigh and felt him fidgeting awkwardly. Small as Edmund may be, Peter's lap was nowhere near as substantial as their father's and keeping Edmund there, especially once they had started was going to be difficult. Peter wriggled back on the bed so that if Edmund did roll off, he would only fall on to the bed rather than the floor. It now meant that Peter's legs did not reach the floor and he sat perched uncomfortably, he legs at an awkward angle to the bed.

Peter took more breaths and tried to calm himself, trying to remember what their father did once one of them was over his knee. Cringing, not at the nakedness (he had seen that often enough, sharing a room with him) but at the action, Peter hooked one finger into his brother's pyjama trousers. Immediately, Edmund's hand flew back and grabbed at his descending trousers.

"Peter! Noo!" He howled, knowing it was futile since he had never experienced a spanking _over _his trousers before but ever hopeful.

Peter set his jaw and removed Edmund's hand, quickly pulling the trousers down to his brother's thighs. Both brothers closed their eyes, groaning inwardly.

Edmund buried his face in the crook of one arm and moaned in humiliation.

"Why am I spanking you, Edmund?" Peter asked quietly. He was pleased, so far things had gone far better than expected with minimum fuss on Edmund's side.

Edmund bit back numerous cheeky and insolent remarks about favouritism and sadistic older brothers who were constantly finding new ways to beat and humiliate their younger brothers and instead opted for honesty. "Because I hid Albert."

Peter chewed his lip and awkwardly landed his first swat. Edmund jumped. "Because you did what to Albert?" He inquired lightly, landing another slightly heavier swat when there came no response.

"Ow. Because I...stole Albert." Edmund resigned himself, unhappy and furious at his brother but he had already been resigned and fully expecting to be thrashed.

"Exactly." It was the last thing Peter said for a while, following their father's pattern of asking first then concentrating on the spanking itself. Peter was spanking uncertainly with varying strength behind his swats, trying to gauge how hard he should be doing it, trying to register his brother's responses but said brother had (inconsiderately in Peter's opinion) opted for a stubborn silence. Just because he was resigned to it, did not mean he had to give in to it!

Unable to keep his silence for long, Edmund had soon begun hurling insults at his older brother interspersed with more honest, childlike pleas for mercy.

SWAT. "Ow. Peteeeer!"

SWAT. SWAT "I hate you! You're beastly and I HATE YOU!"

Peter winced at his brother's words, they did not get on but he 'hated' him? He was drawn between anger and hurt. The next comment however, definitely provoked anger.

"I hate you! You think you're Dad, but you're not! I hate you and I wish you'd gone to war and not him! I wish you were DEAD!"

Furious tears springing into his eyes and wanting this to be over as soon as possible, Peter decided to put much more strength into his next swat. Bringing his arm up high, he brought it crashing down with all his might upon his brother's left cheek with a force that ground Edmund's small hips into Peter's thigh and jolted his whole body forwards.

Edmund released a strangled scream of shock and pain and immediately began to cry, not so much because of the swat itself but more because from the fear of more like it. Shocked and appalled at the force he had used and the dark red mark it had left, Peter stopped, tears filling his eyes.

"I'm...I'm sorry Ed, that was much too hard." He murmured over his brother's crying. Edmund nodded frantically. Both brothers were desperately wishing the spanking could end but Peter, although he realised that his last smack had been far too hard, knew that they had barely begun. Sighing and steeling himself, he resumed his spanks, lighter than his last one but still sincere and far harder than before. Edmund lifted his head and howled, despite not speaking any more, he was being surprisingly vocal.

Peter continued for a good while until his brother's bottom had become a very dark pink bordering on red, his hand ached and Edmund was now sobbing quietly and kicking every now and then.

"Edmund?" He said cautiously.

Edmund continued to sob into his folded arms.

"Edmund, listen to me. We...we're almost finished. I want you to apologise to Lucy."

Edmund nodded into his arms.

"And...I want you to apologise now, to me." He was slightly offended when his brother shook his head 'no'. "Edmund. If you don' say you're sorry, I'm not going to stop." He explained, remembering how their father had always made them apologise to him and to each other before he would let them up off his lap.

There was a very long pause while Peter continued his light swats, having long since eased off on his strength.

"S'ry" It was muttered through tears and into his folded arms. Peter ignored it, he wasn't stopping until he had a proper apology. Edmund lifted his head and sucked a huge, shaking breath then said:

"'m sorry, Peter. 'M...sorry I s-s-stole Lucy's bear. I won't...do it again."

Satisfied and more than a little relieved, Peter stopped spanking. Edmund lay for a moment, crying then began pushing himself up from the bed. Peter reached out one hand to steady him as Edmund reached down to pull his trousers back up, whimpering as he did so.

Glancing at the clock in their room, Peter stood and pulled back the sheets on Edmund's bed. Taking the hint, his little brother slid in and lay on his stomach with his head on one side, his jaw set as Peter replaced the sheets over him.

"Are you all right?" Peter asked as he replaced the sheets and turned back to his own bed. Edmund did not reply and Peter turned to see if he had fallen asleep. Edmund lay still, his face facing the wall away from Peter and his body stiff. Concerned, Peter started towards him. Then, quietly but deadly clear, Edmund spoke.

"I hate you, Peter." A few last tears trickled out over the dark lashes and onto the pillow but his face remained set. He didn't even flinch as his brother threw his discarded day clothes at him, strode angrily to the door and slammed it shut, the whole room shaking as he did so.

"WHO SLAMMED THAT DOOR?!" Mrs MacCready's screeching voice floated up the staircase.

Suppressing a sob, Edmund turned over carefully, and pulled his suitcase out from underneath his bed. Leaning over and leaning in, he rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. Shoving his case back under the bed, he turned over and hugged his prize to his chest with both arms. It was a small, tatty black bear wearing a pale blue knitted jumper with an embroidered 'E' which their mother had made for him when he was a baby. He hugged it tighter and began to cry again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: No profit, not mine (ours) etc.**

** Extended AN on previous chapter.**

* * *

_"I hate you, Peter." A few last tears trickled out over the dark lashes and onto the pillow but his face remained set. He didn't even flinch as his brother threw his discarded day clothes at him, strode angrily to the door and slammed it shut, the whole room shaking as he did so._

_ "WHO SLAMMED THAT DOOR?!" Mrs MacCready's screeching voice floated up the staircase._

_ Suppressing a sob, Edmund turned over carefully, and pulled his suitcase out from underneath his bed. Leaning over and leaning in, he rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. Shoving his case back under the bed, he turned over and hugged his prize to his chest with both arms. It was a small, tatty black bear wearing a pale blue knitted jumper with an embroidered 'E' which their mother had made for him when he was a baby. He hugged it tighter and began to cry again. _

* * *

Peter paused and sighed outside the door as he slammed it shut, leaning his head back against the wood. He _hated_ him? The words had stung but if he was honest, he supposed he might have said the same had their roles been reversed – he had certainly said it to their father after particularly difficult spankings. He considered re-entering but decided against it, at least until they had both calmed down.

"Is he all right?"

Peter almost jumped out of his skin at Susan's quiet voice. He turned to look at her, she was sat on the floor against their wall less than a foot from their door and gazing up at him anxiously.

"Yes." Peter replied uncertainly. "I think so." He walked to her other side and slid down the wall to sit next to her, she leant her head against his shoulder and was silent.

They could hear their little brother's sobbing through the wall and Peter's stomach clenched uncomfortably. Susan felt tears stinging at her own eyes and wiped them away with the back of her hand, taking the handkerchief proffered by her brother.

"He doesn't mean it, Peter." She whispered, nuzzling her head against his neck and glancing up at him. "He doesn't hate you. I know he doesn't."

Peter snorted. "How?"

She had no answer and rested her head down again.

"We all miss Dad, Su. You and Lucy don't say that you hate me. He wishes I were _dead_?!"

"Peter, he doesn't! He - "

"I would've gone if I could!" Peter turned desperate eyes on his sister. "You know I that, don't you? I didn't want him to go either!" He finished tightly.

Susan nodded against his shoulder and then raised her head as Edmund gave a loud cough, sounding as though he were about to be sick. They both sat still and listened but he made no further sounds other than his weakening sobs. Susan raised her eyes to Peter's, biting her lip.

"Do you think I ought to go in there?" Peter nodded tentatively and Susan rose slowly.

Hesitantly and with Peter watching, she knocked on the door and edged into the room. Peter could make out her soft voice as she spoke to their brother and he fidgeted uncomfortably.

* * *

"Edmund? Edmund, are you all right?" She tried to keep her voice gentle but she couldn't help feeling outraged on Peters behalf on account of Edmund's comments.

Edmund had heard the door open and frozen, his back to the room. He held his breath thinking she would give up and leave him alone.

"Edmund?" She took a step closer to him and tentatively reached out a hand and laid it on his shoulder. He jerked it out her grip and curled himself tighter into his ball, swallowing the sobs threatening to escape him.

"Go away, Susan." He muttered chokingly. She glanced at the door and saw Peter stood there watching nervously.

"Edmund, I just want to know if you're all right, I - "

"Go away."

"Edmund - "

"Susan! GET OUT!" His voice sounded raw and breaking after his crying. He didn't look at her but threw his bear blindly over his shoulder at her.

She again turned her head to look uncertainly at Peter who was frowning disapprovingly. She sighed frustratedly.

"Fine." She said coldly and started for the door, stepping on something soft as she did so. Bending down, she picked up Edmund's bear with the blue jumper and 'E' on it and sighed again, feeling her anger ebb away as she stared at the ancient and obviously well-loved toy. She noticed Peter roll his eyes in frustration and stalk away but held the bear to her and silently headed back toward the bed. She didn't speak this time, but leant over her brother's hunched up form and placed the stuffed bear down on the bed beside him. "Goodnight, Edmund." She murmured resignedly as she left the room.

Edmund waited a few minutes until he was sure that both his brother and sister had left then reached out a hand and hugged the bear to his chest again.

* * *

Tentatively, Peter edged the door to the bedroom open. Glancing at Edmund's bed he saw a small curled up figure underneath the covers which were pulled almost over his head and he could also hear the slow even breathing of his sleeping brother. Silently thanking God for small favours, he opened the door fully and, carefully guarding his lit candle, guided it closed again as quietly as he could.

Worried about waking his sleeping brother, he decided against lighting the lamp that stood upon a small table between their beds and instead raised the candle up to cast a flickering light onto his book. Peter read for perhaps an hour, pausing every now and then when Edmund rolled over or muttered something in his sleep, Peter's blue eyes shooting to him and willing him to remain asleep. He did, and finally, when he heard the old grandfather clock downstairs chime midnight, Peter closed his book and settled down to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: No profit etc.**

**A/N: ****The last scene is essentially the library scene in the film and I am not claiming that to be mine. **** I think that in the film, the rainy day is meant to be the day after they arrive but for the purposes of my story, it's maybe a few weeks later than that. **

**Thanks for reading but please, if you enjoyed it, then please review! One or both of us will always try to reply to reviews if that helps at all? **

* * *

Breakfast was a subdued affair the next morning; Mrs MacCready, who had been quick to question Peter about the previous night's events, had now returned to her usual - though barely any better – self and was tut-tutting at their 'appalling' table manners as usual. Susan ate her food in silence, sighing at the uncomfortable looks passing between her two brothers. Oblivious to this, Lucy, having quickly moved on from Albert to a different toy as children so often do, was chatting happily about everything she wanted to do while they were stuck indoors once more since the rain which had prevented them from playing outside on their first day had returned and was now pelting the windows so hard that it was near-impossible to see out of them. Peter hungrily wolfed down his porridge – after all he was a growing boy – occasionally diverting his attention to frown exasperatedly at Edmund (who pretended not to notice). For his part, Edmund, who was uncharacteristically quiet, fidgeted on his seat and barely nibbled at his own breakfast – a most worrying behaviour to his siblings.

Mrs MacCready sent Peter out to collect the morning post and began clearing away the used dishes, tutting when they did not help and batting them away when they did. She looked up scowling, a sharp reprimand on her tongue when Peter came pelting through the door, waving a letter in the air and grinning happily.

"You do NOT - "

"There's a letter from Mum!" Peter interrupted her, waving it at his siblings triumphantly. All four of them crowded around the letter as the housekeeper slit it open, still frowning and pursing her lips. She scanned the contents quickly, nodded curtly and handed it to Susan who held it away from her siblings and read it while they waited with baited breath for news from Finchley.

"Mum is very well..." She announced happily. "She says...everything at home is fine...She hopes we are all behaving ourselves and that Peter is keeping us under control." She glanced at her brothers and bit her lip. "She says the house seems terribly large and quiet without us." She continued and they all laughed. Susan scanned the rest of the letter. "She's had a letter from Dad!" She exclaimed excitedly, pushing Peter and Edmund away when they lunged forward to see the letter for themselves. "He's fine too, he misses us terribly but says he hopes to be home very soon...for Peter's next birthday he says!" This was met by 'woops' and cries of delight from all of them. She finished relaying the news to them and looked at each of them. Suddenly, the excitement at receiving the letter gave way to miserable homesickness and Susan refolded the letter carefully and replaced it inside the envelope. She hesitated for a moment before holding it out to Edmund, smiling grimly a him. He looked faintly surprised but snatched it from her and pocketed it swiftly, he couldn't resist smirking smugly at Lucy and Peter. Susan tutted and Peter clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to reach out and smack his brother again.

They were shooed out of the kitchen where they had eaten by Mrs MacCready with the usual order to "_Not touch anything, not break anything and NOT disturb the Professor._" Edmund immediately made for his and Peter's bedroom to put away the letter, ignoring Susan's warning to not touch the bannister since it had just been polished. Peter rolled his eyes.

The remaining three debated what to do before deciding to spend the day in the library. Albert the bear had not been found yet but Lucy seemed to be in no hurry now that the shock of losing him had worn off. Peter shooed the girls away with the promise to meet them there in a moment before starting up the stairs.

* * *

Edmund shoved his pillows back into place as he heard the footsteps along the corridor and turned to stare challengingly at Peter as he came through the door.

"You're not having it." He stated boldly, before Peter could even open his mouth. Peter blinked and realised what Edmund was talking about.

"That's fine Ed." He sighed wearily and stepped into the room properly. He couldn't help but notice Edmund's subconsciously taking a step away from him. "I don't want it. You can keep the letter." He explained as he crossed the room to sit down on his bed.

"You don't want it?" Edmund scoffed disbelievingly. Peter considered for a moment before saying:

"Well, yes. I do want it actually. It's just...I think you want to keep it more than I do, so..." He shrugged. "You can keep it. I don't mind. Besides, Mum and Dad wouldn't want us fighting over something that was supposed to make things easier for us."

Edmund gave a withering look. "So grown up!" He said sarcastically. Peter bit his tongue – he was not going to fight about this.

"Look Ed," He took a deep breath. "I'm not trying to be Dad. I just...I'm trying to help. I don't want to fight; we aren't at home now. We need to stick together right?" Edmund rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue. Peter chose to ignore it. He stood up suddenly and Edmund jumped back a little. Peter couldn't resist smirking a little, Edmund glared. "We're going to sit in the library, you should come too." He held out his hand. "Friends?"

Edmund raised his eyebrows pointedly and glared at his brother's outstretched hand.

Peter sighed frustratedly. "All right fine, not friends then" He couldn't help but feel a little hurt. He tried again. "I am NOT Dad, and I know that so...brothers?" He held his hand out again.

Edmund rolled his eyes again but quickly took the proffered hand, dropping the shake as if it had burned him. Peter seemed satisfied and turned to leave, he looked back over his shoulder. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah. I'll be there in a minute."

Peter gazed at him for a moment then left. Edmund followed him to the door and closed it softly. Returning to the bed he reached into his pillowcase again, retrieved the letter and sat.

* * *

That afternoon, the four Pevensie children sat, bored, in the library of the house. Edmund rolled his eyes from under the table where he lay as Peter correctly named the origin of yet another long word that Edmund did not know the meaning of. Lucy sighed mournfully as she gazed out of the window at the grey landscape outside and fidgeted, pulling her stuffed rabbit to her chest as she caught Edmund's eyes upon it. She narrowed her eyes and scowled at him, daring him to try anything with _this_ toy and he huffed, rolling onto his back again and glancing surreptitiously at Peter.

Peter sighed and gazed disinterestedly around the room, noticing the silent exchange between Edmund and Lucy, he made a note to himself to watch his brother more carefully from now on. If Edmund wanted to 'borrow' any of Lucy's toys again then he would, but Peter resolved to do everything he could to prevent it. He certainly didn't want a repeat of what he had been forced to do last time and he was fairly certain Edmund didn't either if he really thought about it. Peter could only conclude that Edmund's memory of past misbehaviour and the resulting consequences was far shorter than his own.

Oblivious to her siblings' thoughts, Susan scanned the pages of the book in her hands for a word that Peter would not know, finally she alighted on one in the 'G' section.

"Gastrovascular." She annunciated each syllable carefully and watched Peter expectantly.

Lucy let her head flop back down to the back of her chair, even sharing a long-suffering roll of the eyes with Edmund who also huffed frustratedly.

"Come on Peter! Gastrovascular!"

"Is it...Latin?" Susan failed to notice the boredom in his voice and continued with the 'game'

"Yes." She nodded, pleased.

"Is it Latin for 'worst game ever invented'?" Edmund asked cheekily from his seat on the floor, even Peter grinned.

Susan huffed indignantly and slammed the book shut angrily.

"W-we could play hide and seek?" Lucy's innocent voice broke the tense silence. The reference was not lost on Edmund whose cheeks flushed guiltily – Albert had still not been found.

"But we're already having _so much fun_." Peter protested sarcastically. Susan fumed silently.

"Come on Peter, please!? Pretty please?" Lucy pouted hopefully at her eldest brother and batted her eyes.

Peter's frown slowly turned into a smile as he started counting.

"One...two...three..."


End file.
